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Myths and Religion of the “Real” Barbarians

By “real” barbarians, I refer to the mostly Celtic and Germanic peoples who lived in Europe during the height of ancient Rome’s power. As ancient Rome waned, these barbarians became the dominant political and cultural force in Europe’s Dark Ages, or Migration Period.

In this case, we are going to look at the Germanic barbarians, since they left behind a handy set of poems which we collectively call the Eddas.

They consist of two volumes: the Younger or Prose Edda, and the Elder, or Poetic Edda.
The Prose Edda was written by Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson around 1220. While interesting, it’s not as useful to us as is the Elder Edda.

The Elder Edda is a collection of old Norse poems, apparently transcribed around 1220 as well, possibly by Snorri Sturlason as well, although they came from an ancient oral tradition.

These mythical tales were repeated and learned and passed on from generation to generation, by mouth and ear. Some parts refer to Greenland, which wasn’t colonized until 985, and other parts refer to Atli, or Attila, famous barbarian, who perished in 453. Most of the truly mythical poems probably go back to the origins of the Germanic people. At any rate, the Elder Edda is as a good source as we have for beginning to understand the mentality of historical barbarians.

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Note that I’m not that interested in Norse mythology. In my opinion, too many neo-pagans are so intent on reconstructing some religion of the past that they assume that the theology and mythology of any one people is carved out of stone, unchangeable for all time.

The truth is that the religion of the ancient Norse, for example, varied from place to place and changed substantially over time. This was a living tradition. When you look at a book and suppose that the list of gods that you read of, is yours, then you’re just re-enacting, and you aren’t alive in a truly heathen experience. More about that later.

So the intent of sharing the Norge pagan stuff with you, was not to convert you to Asatru, or to suggest that Conan’s Cimmerians were Vikings!

Far from it. But know that the persona of a northern European “Noble Savage” that we call barbarian, is very well illustrated through the strophes of the Elder Edda, the section called Havamal in particular.

The lines that follow show a great regard for moderate and temperate behavior, probably the teachings of an older man. There’s a strong thread of honor throughout, but usually backed up with practical reasoning.

But it’s not all sweetness and light. Here’s a little passage reminding what kind of life the Vikings led:
Early shall he rise who has designs
On anothers land or life:
His prey escapes the prone wolf,
The sleeper is seldom victorious.

So, I guess it’s important to get up early in the morning if you want to kill someone!